"The presidents stated positive dynamics in the
development of all-round cooperation between Belarus and Turkey,"
the communique said
A package of documents was signed on Friday after talks between
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his Turkish
counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is on an official visit to
Belarus.
Among the documents are a joint communique of the two
presidents, a plan of actions to develop cooperation between the
two countries for 2016-2017, an intergovernmental agreement on the
system for promoting bilateral trade, and agreements on cooperation
in the spheres of education, science and technologies, and of the
peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The sides signed memorandums of understanding between the
Belarusian Education Ministry and Turkey’s Council of Higher
Education, and on issues of cooperation in the agricultural sector.
The two countries also signed an agreement on cooperation in the
area of preventing and liquidation of emergency situations, and an
agreement between the Belarusian state news agency BelTA and
Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.
"The presidents stated positive dynamics in the development of
all-round cooperation between Belarus and Turkey and demonstrated
mutual interest in further maintaining regular bilateral political
dialogue at all levels, including at the top level," the presidents
said in their communique.
According to the document, the sides noted new possibilities of
development of trade-and-economic relations stemming from Belarus’
membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and Turkey’s membership
in the customs union with the European Union.
Lukashenko resolutely condemned the attempted coup in Turkey and
expressed support for the legitimate, democratically elected
government of that country. The Turkish president, in turn,
expressed satisfaction over Belarus’ commitment to democratic
principles.
The two presidents stressed their commitment to the generally
recognized norms of international law, goals and principles of the
United Nations Organization, and the policy towards strengthening
the central role of this organization in maintaining peace and
security, in countering present-day challenges and threats, in
peaceful settlement of international conflicts.
The two leaders condemned "any types of terrorism and stressed
the importance of international cooperation in rebuffing
international terrorism, transnational organized crime, and illegal
migration."
Lukashenko and Erdogan called for closer bilateral ties and
coordination and development of foreign policy cooperation,
including mutual support to candidates within international
organizations. The expressed interest in expanding and diversifying
mutual trade, in joint search for new areas of economic
cooperation, in strengthening industrial cooperation, in promoting
the two counties’ products on markets of third countries.